great white on display

[sulley]

hey krj did not mean to come off rude at last response your answer seemed to me that i did. i hope beyond everything that they are able to and are be honest in saying that they can keep a great white successfully. i hope as humans we can respect every aspect of life, how many people do you see swatting spider webs from their houses yet then complain that they are getting bit by mosquitoes outside....well the damn spiders eat the mosquitoes that you just swatted away. to me there is no reason to display this animal yet if you want to keep it aquaria keep it behind doors to keep the environmemnt as natural as possble to strudy it. study it in the ocean. we probaly know about 10% about this animal that is enough for me to say that it should not even be attempted to be kept in the aquaria yet but to study it more in the oceans then attempt to keep it after we learn much more about it.

 

[krj-1168]

Agreed - humans should respect all aspects of live. But the sad truth is we don't.
As for the percentage of what's truely known about the Great White- sulley. Your way off.
The Great White has been the subject of quite a few books. It's quite possibly the only Shark to have so much written about it.
Don't believe me - go to Amazon, search for books on the Great White, you likely find at least half dozen good books(non-fiction, non-shark attack, & non-children's books) on it alone.
Still the true total percentage of what's known about the Great White, by marine biologists is likely closer to 50%. There's still alot to learn about it.
Also it's pretty much a proven fact that great whites tend to move around alot - in some cases possibly traveling over 100 miles in a single day.

 

[sulley]

the ten percent was trumped up a bit to try to prove my point

 

[krj-1168]

Sulley - you don't really need to exaggerate to prove your point.
Because the true fact is that biologists don't know everything about 99% of all living species of sharks.
They're still discovering new species or finding known species in new locations. And sharks are generally unpredictable.
For example until recently - the only species of shark known to swim in freshwater - was the bull shark.
Then recently - sharpnose sharks were found in a Texas lake about 200 miles from the ocean. Bonnethead & blacktip sharks have been found about 40 miles up the Cape Fear river in NC, in freshwater.
A 12-14' Great White lived for several weeks in a bay(in the New England states) about 2 miles from the ocean.

 

[tx reef]

Good debate.

***)

***)

 

[cunningham]

i went to long beach aquarium and saw the bull shark, hes a little stud. My wife just made hotel reservations for monterey oct 7 we want to check out the little white shark. it will be nice to get out of town!

 

[krj-1168]

By the way - how was the Bull shark?

 

[cunningham]

It was cool looking, about 4 1/2 feet long looked like a pit bull. There is a area where you can look down on them, or go below for a better look, alot of people were going crazy over this other shark because it had teeth, calling it the bull shark but they were looking @ the wrong one we have a annual pass @ the aquarium and we go often its about 30 minutes away. im looking forward to the the white shark in monterrey we are going next sat. only its 6 hrs away it will be a nice road trip.

 

[breineach1]

Sully, I feel the same way that you do about keeping wild animals in captivity (my fish are tank bred and the corals I plan on getting will all be frags), but the fact of the matter is that most people are afraid or simply unaware of what they don't know or understand. Thus, when a responsible entity like Monterey Bay- who has trained staff and a reasonable idea of what these animals need to survive to live- are able to display them for the public, they are actually helping the species as a whole. The more people see these animals, the more willing they are to become aware of the environmental impact everyone has on this animal's habitat.
When a person goes to the aquarium, falls in "love" with this shark, and then hears about how many get killed in gill nets or how only the fin is used for food and the rest of the animal is discarded, that person walks away with a greater understanding of what they need to take responsibility for, be it donating to protecting the habitat, joining an environmental club, or not buying from companies that support inhumane practices.

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by Sharkboy13
u no soon enough ppl r gonna be able to keep these guys in captivity long term, first aqauriums then in 2063 this forum is gonna be like "my white shark just ate my pacific octopus im bringing him back to the lfs

:hilarious

***)

 

[rykna]

Originally Posted by krj-1168
Personally - I highly doubt we will ever see the Great White breed in captivity.
In fact it will be a long time, before we actually see an adult in captivity.
Here's why.
Adult Great Whites - are speciality hunters - their main prey is marine mammals(ie seals, sea lions, dolphins). They have also been known to feed on whale carcasses. Juveniles feed mostly in fish, including smaller sharks.
As adults have been known to swim thousands of miles(entire oceans) in under a single year. So even a 6 million gallon tank is basically too small of a single adult, much less a pair.
And Adult Great Whites have a curious, but aggressive nature & are of such a large size(14'+) that makes it very dangerous & practical impossible for a dive crew to preform normal tank maintainence.
I would guess they would have a side tank in which to hold the sharks while cleaning....similar practices for lions and tigers in zoos

 

[krj-1168]

I would guess they would have a side tank in which to hold the sharks while cleaning....similar practices for lions and tigers in zoos
I don't know about that - people have swam with Great Whites in the wild. The trick to cleaning a tank with a great white is - 1) don't look like a seal or sea lion, and 2) make certain that the sharks are well-feed when the divers clean the tank.

 

[cunningham]

tomorrow morning @ 5am

we are going to the aquarium to see the white shark, it should take about 5 hrs to get there , it will be cool, my friends think im crazy

i think they are right!!

 

[gibbus]

krj-1163
I was reading your posts. You make alot of good posts.Their are more animals that shouldnt be for sale to private people beside bull sharks. Yes I dont agee with seeing them for sale; but if the shark jumps out it dies. There are more dangerous animals easier to get then a shark. Some examples would be black mamba(notrious venomous snake from africa), bothrops asper(one of the most dangerous animals in the world), nile crocodiles, big cats and large monitor lizards. All of these animals can do alot of danger or easily kill a human. Also if they escape they can kill or injure more people then a shark.

 

[krj-1168]

I was reading your posts. You make alot of good posts.Their are more animals that shouldnt be for sale to private people beside bull sharks. Yes I dont agee with seeing them for sale; but if the shark jumps out it dies. There are more dangerous animals easier to get then a shark. Some examples would be black mamba(notrious venomous snake from africa), bothrops asper(one of the most dangerous animals in the world), nile crocodiles, big cats and large monitor lizards. All of these animals can do alot of danger or easily kill a human. Also if they escape they can kill or injure more people then a shark.
True - But in many states - you need special premit in order to keep dangerous reptiles(like venomous snakes or crocs), and large mammalian predators(ie wolves, or big cats).
And no I not picking on Bull sharks specifically - There are several sharks that don't belong in the private owner's hands, but need to be either in the ocean or in a Public Aquarium - like Lemons, & Nurses.

 

[swlover]

I think both of you make valid points and are very intelligent ppl, you both should get involved with conservation of wildlife, if you are not already. One fact I've noticed, you both agree on the care of this shark, and it's future that in it self, is a mile stone. I personally like to go to public aquariums..I have learned alot from visiting the one here in East Tn, and have mixed feelings when I see them in these tanks. On one hand, I wouldn't have ever had the chance to see and learn some of the species they offer, and on the other I think it should be swimming free in the Ocean...I take comfort when I do find out that the polulation of these animals have gone up because of our intervention...but, many times it is us that put them on the brink to begin with! You can't win.

 

[dustbunny]

Originally Posted by jonathanws
arg, too bad it's on the opposite coast. i want to see one before i die
Shoot, you want to see a GWS on the east coast then just go for a sharkfishing trip off of Long Island when the season starts. I've seen two on three trips, one bigger than the boat I was in. Too bad I don't have a pic, I was too busy soiling myself.

 

[swlover]

Originally Posted by Dustbunny
Shoot, you want to see a GWS on the east coast then just go for a sharkfishing trip off of Long Island when the season starts. I've seen two on three trips, one bigger than the boat I was in. Too bad I don't have a pic, I was too busy soiling myself.

Oh I know my Aunt used to live in Little neck, Long Island, we used to see all kinds of sharks off the beach area..don't know what kind they were, but I'll just stand on the nice sand and watch from there!